Dark Ring at base of neck

My 20 year old daughter has a dark ring at the base of her neck. Many times it is tender and she has had it there as long as I can remember. I saw it the other day and it appears to have grown larger. Her uncle on her father's side has some sort of skin demarcation/fungus on his neck and also has been diagnosed with RA. My sister has RA and now my daugher is having heated "flair ups" in her joints. She has tested "false positive" in one RA testing. Anyway, when she was 9, she showed signs of early maturation was tested for endocrinological malfunctions. It was negative. She is overweight. I read snipets about hormonal imbalances or enzymes out of whack or something of that ilk could cause this manifestation on her neck. It would sure help to find out some information that is more conclusive. My feeling is that these dark rings could be symptomatic of some other disorder that could be treated. Thank you for your reply.

I suspect that your daughter has acanthosis nigricans, a condition that looks just like what you describe. The skin looks dark and thickened. It can run in families and is also common in people who are overweight, so either of these factors could be playing a role in your daughter. Not much is available as treatment. In young people this almost never is associated with internal conditions. She will need to be seen in person to have this diagnosed with certainty.

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